Resident Doctors Raise Alarm Over Violent Attacks in Nigerian Hospitals, Demand Presidential Intervention
By Angela Udende / ABUJA, Nigeria / May 18, 2026
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has threatened nationwide industrial action over what it described as an alarming rise in violent attacks, harassment, intimidation, and physical assaults against doctors and healthcare workers across Nigerian hospitals.
In a strongly worded statement titled “Reading the Riot Act: Enough is Enough on Assaults Against Doctors and Other Health Workers,” the association warned that the Federal Government risks a fresh healthcare crisis if urgent and decisive measures are not implemented before the end of its May 2026 Ordinary General Meeting (OGM).
The statement, jointly signed by NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Usman Suleiman, Secretary-General Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim, and Publicity and Social Secretary Dr. Abdulmajid Yahya Ibrahim, accused authorities of failing to protect healthcare personnel working under increasingly hostile and dangerous conditions.
Doctors Under Siege Across Nigerian Hospitals
According to NARD, assaults on medical personnel have become widespread across several tertiary health institutions nationwide over the past year, raising serious concerns about the safety of frontline healthcare workers.
Among the affected institutions listed by the association are the University College Hospital, Federal Medical Centre Owo, National Hospital Abuja, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, and Federal Medical Centre Jabi, among others.
The association alleged that doctors and health workers are increasingly facing beatings, threats, humiliation, and psychological trauma while carrying out their duties.
“These are not just statistics. These are human beings,” the statement read, adding that healthcare professionals who spend sleepless nights saving lives are now being “treated like criminals” inside the very hospitals where they work.
‘Over 90 Percent of Victims Are NARD Members’
NARD disclosed that over 90 percent of victims affected by such attacks are members of the association, commonly referred to as “NARDITES.”
The group lamented that despite severe physical injuries, destruction of personal property, and emotional trauma suffered by victims, many incidents end with little more than apology letters from perpetrators or authorities.
The association described the trend as evidence of systemic failure within Nigeria’s healthcare protection framework and warned that continued silence from authorities could worsen the already fragile health sector.
Tinubu Government Given Ultimatum
In what appears to be one of the strongest warnings issued by the association in recent years, NARD demanded immediate intervention from the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The doctors called for an Executive Order mandating the strict prosecution of anyone found assaulting healthcare workers or invading healthcare facilities nationwide.
The association also demanded:
- Immediate prosecution and public punishment of perpetrators
- Compensation for victims and damaged personal property
- Deployment of enhanced security infrastructure across hospitals
- Enforcement of strict hospital protection policies
According to NARD, failure by the Federal Government and relevant authorities to take “concrete, visible and decisive steps” before the conclusion of its May 2026 OGM could lead to nationwide industrial unrest.
“If by the end of the May 2026 OGM, concrete, visible, and decisive steps are not taken to curb this menace and bring all assailants to justice, the NARD National Officers’ Committee and other constitutional organs of the association will not guarantee industrial peace after the OGM,” the statement warned.
Healthcare Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
The latest threat of industrial action comes at a time Nigeria’s healthcare system is already battling severe manpower shortages, brain drain, poor infrastructure, insecurity, and rising public frustration over medical service delivery.
Analysts warn that another nationwide strike by resident doctors could further strain hospitals already operating under difficult economic and operational conditions.
Medical advocacy groups have repeatedly raised concerns over the safety of healthcare workers, particularly in emergency units and overcrowded public hospitals where tensions between patients’ relatives and medical personnel frequently escalate into violence.
NARD’s ultimatum to the Federal Government highlights growing frustration within Nigeria’s medical community over deteriorating working conditions and inadequate institutional protection for healthcare professionals.
With the association now openly threatening industrial action, attention is expected to shift to the response of the Tinubu administration and whether urgent policy measures will be introduced to prevent another disruption in Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system.
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